


Rainbow Tie

by RyuRaven



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Closeted Character, F/F, openly gay character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 22:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30113118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuRaven/pseuds/RyuRaven
Summary: Annie has to repeat her final year of high school, putting her in Mikasa's class. With all her old friends working or studying far away, she needs to make some new friends.I'd say more but,, I don't want to give anything away.Written from both Mikasa's and Annie's POV, since I've come to love doing that.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65





	Rainbow Tie

**Author's Note:**

> A little side project while I work on something else, enjoy.

**Annie’s POV**

Low music played in the background as Annie walked through the store. She paused at a rack full of differently coloured hoodies. They were all so big. She doubted there were any her size. A sigh escaped her lips and she let her eyes wander around the store. There weren’t a lot of customers. She looked over to the small rack with pride items. Someone was already looking at them. A girl with a red scarf. Annie didn’t know her personally, but she knew of her. Mikasa Ackerman. A year younger than Annie, about to start her final year of high school after summer break. The final year of high school, which Annie had to repeat. She had considered dropping out, but since she had made it this far, she could manage another year. Especially since she had already seen the material once before. She just had to hand in her assignments and actually study for the exams this time.

Mikasa lifted her gaze from the rainbow tie she was holding, scanning the store, and froze when she met Annie’s eyes. She clutched her purse and darted out of the store. Annie fiddled with a sleeve of a hoodie in front of her. She hadn’t wanted to scare Mikasa off. Being in the closet sucked, and she still remembered the fear of being found out before she came out.

She walked over to the pride merch. While she wasn’t one to make a display out of it, she no longer hid who she liked. Most of the time she wore hoodies, but for times where she wanted to dress up, she had a few nice button-ups and ties. She picked up the tie Mikasa had been looking at. It was good quality.

xxx

School started again in September and Annie found herself in many of the same classes as Mikasa. The poor girl kept avoiding eye contact and consistently picked a seat the furthest from Annie. Annie couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She was probably terrified of what Annie thought of her.

One early morning, when the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, Annie found Mikasa already chatting with her friends in the classroom when she entered. Usually they were the last to arrive. Annie decided to take a seat near them.

“And what about you, Mikasa?” Sasha asked. “Got a boyfriend yet?” The question caught Annie’s attention, and she looked over to the group.

“No.”

“Do you have your eye on someone?” Jean asked.

Mikasa shifted uncomfortably. “I just want to focus on school for now.”

“Ah, come on,” Sasha encouraged, “Live life a little, get yourself a boy.”

The others chimed in with similar encouragements, and Annie wondered how they didn’t notice Mikasa’s increasing discomfort as she persisted on focusing on school.

“She’s right, you know.” Annie piped up, loud enough to draw the groups attention. “You gotta focus on school this year. Otherwise you’ll end up like me. Repeating it.”

That successfully put an end to their conversation on dating, and as they talked about school, Mikasa flashed Annie a thankful smile. Annie winked at her, to which she blushed and quickly pulled a book from her bag. The reaction surprised Annie. She had intended for the wink to be a ‘don’t worry, I got you’, but it seemed to have an entirely different effect on the girl.

While they still didn’t talk beyond what was necessary in class, Mikasa stopped avoiding Annie after that.

xxx

A few weeks into the semester, one of their teachers was sick and they had a free period during the day. It was still nice out, so the students elected to spend the time outside. Most of the boys decided to play soccer after getting their hands on a ball, and Annie spotted Mikasa sitting by herself on a bench. There was no one near her, so Annie decided now was the best time to talk.

She sat down next to Mikasa and opened her backpack. She sifted through the contents until she found the paper bag she was looking for and dropped it on Mikasa’s lap.

“Annie? What is this?” Mikasa asked, holding the bag but not opening it.

“I saw you during summer break, in the store.” Mikasa visibly stiffened, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. “I’m not sure if you wanted to buy it, but I think I might have scared you off so…” Annie gestured to the bag, which Mikasa finally opened. “It’s yours if you want it, but if not, you can just give it back. I’m sure I can find an occasion to wear it.”

“You mean you’re…?”

“Yeah, I’m gay. I came out a few years ago but I guess your class doesn’t know since I’m not as loud about it as Ymir used to be.” Mikasa tucked the paper bag in her backpack. “I don’t know if you need it, but I’m here if you have any questions. You don’t gotta hide anything, and I can keep my mouth shut.”

Mikasa nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’re free to talk to me about other stuff too. It’s kinda lonely with all my friends studying so far away. I could help you with classes, too.”

“You failed your exams.”

“Wow, rude! It’s still my second time seeing the material! I’m way ahead of you.”

Silence fell between them as they watched their classmates kick the ball around. Eren scored a goal and high-fived Armin.

“Were you friends with Ymir?” Mikasa asked.

“Huh? Not really. I was out before her so she came to me for advice. But once she got a girlfriend and started wearing rainbows she became an insufferable bitch. Calling me a baby gay just because she got a girlfriend first. It’s not a fucking race.”

After a short pause, Mikasa spoke up again, “Do you have a girlfriend now?”

“No.” Annie smirked at her. “Why? You interested?” Mikasa flushed bright red. “Don’t worry, I’m just teasing you.” Annie playfully bumped their shoulders. “What about you? Still single, I take it?” Mikasa nodded. “Got your eye on someone?” Mikasa stiffened again, staring at her lap. “Alright, I’ll let you off the hook. Imma get a headstart on my homework. God knows I won’t get it done at home.” Annie pulled out her biology book. She wrote down the answer to the first question. Five more to go. It was only when Mikasa spoke up, that she realized she had been staring at the page for several minutes, lost in thought.

“Annie. If-if we’re gonna hang out, do you want my number?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Annie opened the ‘add contact’ screen on her phone and handed it to Mikasa. “You can send yourself a message to get my number.” Then she brought her attention back on her biology homework. Five more questions to go.

**Mikasa’s POV**

Mikasa leaned on her hand and stared out through the window. The teacher was droning on about something, but her attention was caught by another class doing PE on the grass field outside. They had finished running their laps and stretching, and now were pairing up. Their teacher explained something, gesturing with their arms and legs. Mikasa wondered what they were going to do.

When their instructions were given, a few of the pairs began tackling each other. Mikasa focused on the pair closest to the window. A short blonde girl and a beefy blond guy. He seemed to give her a pep talk before finally running at her. Mikasa almost felt bad for her, getting tackled by a guy at least twice her weight. But instead of being tackled, the girl stepped out of his way and tripped him with her leg. Mikasa snorted and slapped a hand over her mouth, quickly returning her attention to her own class. She got several odd looks cast at her, but at least the teacher hadn’t noticed.

Once the attention was no longer on her, she peered outside again. The blond guy had gotten up by now, and he slapped his belly with both hands before spreading his arms in invitation. The girl took a few steps back, then ran at him at full speed. Her shoulder crashed into him and they flew down on the grass. She got up. He didn’t. Mikasa bit her lip. She had to know who that girl was.

xxx

The bell rang, Mikasa got up and grabbed her bag. She made her way to her next class, and saw the blonde girl as she walked through the corridors. Her heart skipped a beat. The girl was joined by the same beefy guy as before, and Ymir. Mikasa only knew Ymir’s name because she had been a topic of gossip after she came to school wearing rainbows the previous year.

“Hey, Annie, guess what?” Ymir said.

“What?” the blonde girl responded. Annie. Her name was Annie.

“Next weekend I’m gonna stay over at my girlfriend’s house. We’re gonna have so much-”

“Oh shut up! I don’t wanna know what your dirty gay ass is up to. And I don’t wanna hear about your stupid girlfriend either.”

The words struck Mikasa like a knife. She knew not everyone was accepting, but she never thought she’d get a crush on someone like that.

“You’re just jealous because you’re single.”

“I don’t need anyone. And even if I found someone, I wouldn’t be rubbing it in people’s faces like you.”

“Oh I get it, jealous because you got a _crush_ on me.” Ymir taunted, winking at Annie.

“Ew, no!” Annie kicked Ymir in the ass, to which the latter quickly started running. “You’re fucking gross!” Annie shouted as she ran after her.

Mikasa swiftly moved on and entered her next classroom. She didn’t want to think about what just happened. Ymir’s voice yelped in the distance. Mikasa hadn’t counted on Annie being gay or on ever having a chance with her, but why did she have to be a homophobe? She never planned on acting on her feelings, but she would much rather live with the idea that something was possible.

xxx

It was summer break, and Mikasa strolled around a store, looking for a new dress. She wanted something nice to wear before leaving on vacation with her family. She spotted a small rack with pride merch. She hesitated. There weren’t a lot of customers, no one would see her. She quietly approached the rainbow-colored items. The tie caught her attention. Girls looked good with a tie. She let her eyes dart around the store, and froze when icy blue eyes stared straight at her. Annie. Out of all people, _she_ had to be the one to catch her looking at pride merch. Cold sweat formed on her brow, and she all but darted out of the store. Thank god Annie had already finished her final year, because Mikasa didn’t think she’d be able to face her again after this.

xxx

The new school year wasn’t kind on Mikasa. Not only did she have to go without makeup because she overslept on the first day, but she was met with a sight she hadn’t expected in orientation. Annie. She shared a class with Annie. Hadn’t she graduated yet? Out of all people to have to repeat their final year, it had to be _her_? Mikasa wasn’t over her crush on Annie yet. What was she supposed to do now? Worst of all, Annie had seen her in that store, so she knew Mikasa was a lesbian. What if she decided to out her to everyone? The best thing Mikasa could do right now, both to not get outed and to get over her feelings, was to ignore Annie.

One early morning, Mikasa sat at her desk, waiting for the teacher to arrive, while her friends sat near her. She was barely paying attention to the conversation until she heard her name.

“And what about you, Mikasa?” Sasha asked. “Got a boyfriend yet?”

Oh god, anything but this conversation. “No.”

“Do you have your eye on someone?” Jean asked.

Mikasa shifted uncomfortably. It was obvious he had a crush on her, and she really didn’t want to entertain that thought. “I just want to focus on school for now.”

“Ah, come on,” Sasha encouraged, “Live life a little, get yourself a boy.”

“Yeah, I bet you could get a date by the end of the day, if you wanted.” Jean added.

Mikasa tensed, she needed to stop this conversation right now. “No, really, I think school is more important right now. It’s our final year.”

“Your grades are always perfect; I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Armin added.

Suddenly a new voice cut in on their conversation. “She’s right, you know.” It was Annie. “You gotta focus on school this year. Otherwise you’ll end up like me. Repeating it.” Was she helping Mikasa out? Or did she just say that because she believed focusing on school was best?

“I guess she has a point.” Eren said. “This might be our hardest year yet.”

Mikasa released a breath in relief and smiled at Annie. She hoped it was enough to convey her thankfulness. Annie then did something Mikasa never would have expected. She winked. Mikasa felt her cheeks heat up and she quickly pulled a book from her bag to avoid having to look at or speak to anyone. What did this mean? Why had Annie winked at her? Did she like her? No that was impossible. But maybe she didn’t mind? Maybe she had overcome her homophobic views?

No. They were barely more than strangers. Mikasa had noticed Annie in that store because she managed to have a crush on her before that. But Annie… Annie didn’t know Mikasa before they shared a class. She had been just one of hundreds of students she didn’t share a class with. Annie probably didn’t even remember seeing her in the store. That had to be it.

Mikasa sighed in relief and looked at the book in front of her. It was upside down. Embarrassed, and hoping no one had noticed, she closed the book and placed it back in her bag. She didn’t have to avoid Annie anymore. They probably wouldn’t end up being friends, but at least she didn’t have to worry about being outed anymore.

xxx

A few weeks into the semester, one of their teachers was sick and they had a free period during the day. The weather was nice, so the class spent their free period outside. Mikasa sat down on a bench and watched her classmates play soccer. It was not a sport she had an interest in, so she didn’t join.

She had only been there for a few minutes, when Annie sat down next to her. Suddenly Mikasa was aware of everything. The way she breathed, how her bangs fell over her eyes, the sound of the zipper as Annie opened her backpack, how warm her hoodie would feel if she reached out to touch it…

Annie tossed a paper bag onto Mikasa’s lap. “Annie? What is this?”

“I saw you during summer break, in the store.” Mikasa froze. She did remember. “I’m not sure if you wanted to buy it, but I think I might have scared you off so…” Annie gestured to the bag, and Mikasa peeked inside. It was the rainbow tie she had been looking at before she ran out the store. Annie bought it? “It’s yours if you want it, but if not, you can just give it back. I’m sure I can find an occasion to wear it.”

Wear it? Did that mean what she thought it meant? “You mean you’re…?”

“Yeah, I’m gay. I came out a few years ago but I guess your class doesn’t know since I’m not as loud about it as Ymir used to be.” _Annie is gay_. And she bought a gift for her. Mikasa closed the paper bag and carefully tucked it in her backpack. She wasn’t about to turn down a gift from the girl she liked. “I don’t know if you need it, but I’m here if you have any questions. You don’t gotta hide anything, and I can keep my mouth shut.”

Mikasa nodded. “Thanks.” She was nearly vibrating from happiness. _Annie is gay. And she got me a gift!_

“You’re free to talk to me about other stuff too. It’s kinda lonely with all my friends studying so far away.” This was too good to be true. “I could help you with classes, too.” There it was, the downside.

“You failed your exams.”

“Wow, rude!” Annie scoffed. “It’s still my second time seeing the material! I’m way ahead of you.”

A silence fell between them and Mikasa tried to put the puzzle pieces together. Annie had noticed her. Annie wanted to spend more time with her. Annie had winked at her. No. No, no, no. That had to be a coincidence. Like what about that time she called Ymir a dirty gay?

“Were you friends with Ymir?” Mikasa asked.

“Huh?” Annie turned towards her. “Not really. I was out before her so she came to me for advice. But once she got a girlfriend and started wearing rainbows she became an insufferable bitch. Calling me a baby gay just because she got a girlfriend first. It’s not a fucking race.”

Oh. They had just been bickering. Mikasa felt so stupid for having jumped to conclusions now. But more importantly, did this mean Annie was still single? “Do you have a girlfriend now?”

“No.” Annie smirked. “Why? You interested?” Mikasa’s heart leapt to her throat. She wasn’t ready for this! “Don’t worry, I’m just teasing you.” Annie bumped her shoulder into Mikasa’s, which did nothing to calm the erratic beating of her heart. “What about you? Still single, I take it?” Mikasa nodded. “Got your eye on someone?” Mikasa froze, not knowing how to answer, or if she even had enough control over her body left _to_ answer. “Alright, I’ll let you off the hook. Imma get a headstart on my homework. God knows I won’t get it done at home.”

Mikasa released a shaky breath as Annie grabbed her book. Annie was gay. Annie wanted to be friends. Annie was really cute when she frowned at her textbook. No one was paying attention to them. If there was ever a time to live up to her fearless Ackerman reputation, it was now.

“Annie. If-if we’re gonna hang out, do you want my number?” Mikasa internally cursed herself for stuttering. She wanted to look cool in front of Annie.

Annie lifted her gaze from her textbook and pulled out her phone. “Oh, yeah. Sure.” She tapped the screen a few times and handed her phone to Mikasa. “You can send yourself a message to get my number.” Annie returned her attention to her book, and Mikasa entered her contact information. She sent a simple ‘hi’ and handed the phone back to Annie. She had her number. This was more than she ever hoped for.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you expect what happened in Mikasa's POV while reading Annie's?
> 
> What's your favourite part?
> 
> Your comments inspire me ♥


End file.
